“师教“指的是中国南方各地以驱邪为核心的各类法师仪式及其背后相关的一整套宗教文化，涉及神灵、法坛、庙宇、仪式戏剧、习俗、法器和传说故事等宗教事象。作为南方地区最为流行的宗教传统之一，师教是历史上儒释道三教与民间巫文化传统不断碰撞、融合的产物。不可否认，师教不是一个统一而有组织的宗教，各地法师教派的起源传说多是因地而异，其仪式细节也都不尽相同。换句话说，它是地方传统而非严格意义上的国家统一宗教。但是，各地法师仪式传统不仅紧密相联，而且还存在着很多的共同点，以至于我们不能将其视为“一盘散沙“，而应该把它当作一个相关联的宗教“系统“来研究。因此，本文的目的在于“建构“师教。它的内容是什么？各地法师仪式有何共同的特征？通过对各地法师仪式传统的比较研究，本文意在探讨师教的仪式特征、提取其仪式结构，构建其发展脉络，从而显示它与“三教“的关系，更为重要的是它与民间巫（童乩）的联系和区别。此后我们才能尝试进一步探讨一些更大的理论性问题。一旦它被适当描述，我相信“师教作为一个研究词汇的作用将会变得更加突出。 / Shijiao refers to all kinds of fashi rituals that focus on exorcism, and the whole set of religious culture related to them, including deities, ritual altars, temples, ritual theatres, customs, ritual implements and tales of deities and fashi, etc. As one of the most popular religion in South China, it is a historical product of confrontations between the three “higher“ national religions and Shamanism (medium-based). Admittedly, it is not a “unified and organized religion“. Its history is different in every locality, and its rituals are diversified in different regions. To put it another way, they are local religious traditions rather than being a national tradition. However, these ritual traditions are not only interlinked but they also share so many commonalities in their modes of expression and systematization that they should be regarded as one system/tradition rather than as “a loose rope of sand“ for the purpose of research. Thus, the main aim of this thesis will be the “constructed category“ of Shijiao: What is it? What is its common ground? Through a comprehensive comparative study of local Fashi ritual traditions in South China, this dissertation has explored its main ritual characteristics, extracted its ritual structure, constructed its developmental stages, and show not only how it is different from the Sanjiao三教, but more importantly, how it differentiates from Shamanism (Wu). Once properly described, I believe the usefulness of “Shijiao“ as an analytic term will become clear. Only after that, could we productively discuss some larger theoretical questions. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Huang, Jianxing. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2013. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 325-340). / Abstracts also in Chinese. / English abstract --- p.iii / Chinese abstract --- p.vii / Acknowledgements --- p.IX / Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter Chapter 1. --- A Brief Historical Survey of Shijiao --- p.41 / Chapter 1.1 --- Contributions of Shamanism --- p.41 / Chapter 1.2 --- Contributions of Daoism --- p.50 / Chapter 1.3 --- Contributions of Buddhism --- p.57 / Chapter 1.4 --- Contributions of Other Religious Traditions --- p.62 / Chapter Chapter 2. --- Ritual Traditions and the Pantheon of Shijiao --- p.67 / Chapter 2.1 --- Origin Tales of the Fashi Ritual Traditions --- p.67 / Chapter 2.2 --- The Concrete Expressions of Shijiao --- p.83 / Chapter 2.3 --- The Pantheon of Shijiao --- p.109 / Chapter Chapter 3. --- The Classification of Shijiao Rituals and Its Main Characteristics --- p.129 / Chapter 3.1 --- The Classification of Shijiao Rituals --- p.129 / Chapter 3.2 --- The Main Characteristics of Shijiao Rituals --- p.138 / Chapter Chapter 4. --- The Inheritance System of Shijiao --- p.173 / Chapter 4.1 --- The Transmission Ritual of Shijiao --- p.174 / Chapter 4.2 --- The Collective Transmission Rituals of the She and the Yao --- p.198 / Chapter 4.3 --- The Shijiao funeral ritualan extension of the transmission ritual --- p.224 / Chapter Chapter 5. --- The Close Relationship between the Fashi and the Tongji --- p.239 / Chapter 5.1 --- A Brief Historical Survey on the Relationship between the Fashi and the Tongji --- p.239 / Chapter 5.2 --- The Fashi and the Tongji as Seen through Fieldwork --- p.241 / Chapter 5.3 --- The Tongji Transmission Ritual --- p.243 / Chapter Chapter 6. --- The Cult of the Deified Fashi --- p.275 / Chapter 6.1 --- Tales of the Fashi --- p.275 / Chapter 6.2 --- Expressions of the Fashi Cult --- p.286 / Chapter Chapter 7. --- The Transformation of Shijiao in China Today --- p.301 / Chapter 7.1 --- The Policy of Title Granting of the Gods in the Song --- p.302 / Chapter 7.2 --- The Present Intangible Culture Heritage Project --- p.307 / Conclusion --- p.319 / Bibliography --- p.325 / Appendices --- p.341

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, Faculty of the Divinity School, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the Internet.

No description available.

Demon possession and exorcism are major themes in the gospel of Mark. Since the Enlightenment, Mark's Western audience has often found them to difficult to interpret, especially in the case of possession itself. The author of Mark assumed that his audience would understand the idea of possession, an assumption that does not necessarily hold true for modern audiences. This study aims to provide some idea of what possession means in Mark. It proceeds with exegesis of Mark's possession pericopes and situates them within the context of ancient beliefs about demons and possession. Critical consideration of modern cross-disciplinary research related to possession is important in this task. So too is the history of modern interpretation and exegesis of Mark, which has offered insights as well as misapprehensions. The weight of evidence supports the conclusion that part of the spiritual importance of possession for Mark is its disorienting, frightening, and ultimately incomprehensible nature.

Thesis (M.A.)--Briercrest Biblical Seminary, 1999. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 95-105).

Thesis (M. Div.)--Emmanuel School of Religion, Johnson City, Tenn., 1999. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 70-74).

No description available.

Magister Artium - MA / In the history of Christianity a number of distinct soteriological models have developed over the centuries. In the Patristic period, victory over death and destruction was emphasised. In late medieval Catholicism, the Protestant Reformation and evangelical circles, the focus was on reconciliation with God through the forgiveness of sins, while modern liberal notions of salvation emphasised the need for education and moral upliftment, if not enlightenment. In the twentieth century, other soteriological motifs became dominant, including development (in the tradition of the Social Gospel), self-actualisation (in existentialist theologies), liberation and emancipation (in liberation theologies, feminist theologies, etc). With the emergence of global Pentecostalism in the 20th century, two other forms of soteriology resurfaced, namely an emphasis on healing and deliverance from evil. This study will contribute to Pentecostal discourse on deliverance as a soteriological motif. In Western forms of Pentecostalism the need for deliverance from evil is recognised, in contrast with evangelicalism where the emphasis is on forgiveness of sins. Deliverance from evil is typically understood in personalist terms as affliction, namely as the need to overcome forces of evil inside the human psyche, typically associated with personal vices. This suggests a ministry of exorcism in order to be delivered from such vices that are then described as “demons”, evil forces, dominions and principalities. In political and liberation theologies, there is likewise an emphasis on evil forces, but these are understood in societal and structural terms, namely with references to ideologies, oppressive structures and forms of exploitation. In African forms of Pentecostalism (as in the case amongst African Instituted Churches) there is a similar emphasis on deliverance and the need for exorcism. However, this is especially understood with reference to witchcraft. Here, the one in need of deliverance is regarded as the victim of (demonic) possession beyond one’s locus of control. Deliverance is thus understood as victory over forces outside one’s own psyche that cause psychological trauma and have medical, social and economic consequences for the victim. This research project will explore a corpus of literature on the understanding of deliverance in the context of West-African Pentecostalism (or neo-Pentecostalism). It will analyse and compare views in this regard emerging from amongst Western African Pentecostals with Western Pentecostal scholars that seek to understand the distinct understanding of deliverance in the context of West-African Pentecostalism. More specifically, it will describe, analyse, compare and assess the contributions of Allan Anderson, Paul Gifford, Ogbu Kalu, J Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu, and Opoku Onyunah in this regard.

Abstract This study was a case control field investigation of a special population. The psychodiagnostic and personality correlates of 40 Christian Charismatic exorcism-seekers were compared to the correlates of 40 matched c2ntrols and 48 randomly selected controls. The study was guided by a central research question: how do exorcism-seekers differ from similar individuals who do not seek exorcism? Two theoretiäal approaches to demonic possession and exorcism anticipated different answers. A mental illness approach anticipated the report of certain forms of clinical distress among exorcism-seekers. A social role approach anticipated the report of certain personality traits that would facilitate the effective enactment of the demoniac role. Results supported the mental illness approach to demonic possession inasmuch as numerous between-group diagnostic differences achieved statistical significance, especially mood disturbance. The exorcism-seeker’s group produced a modal dependent-avoidant personality disorder profile, although schizoid features best distinguished between exorcism-seekers and control subjects. However, half of the sample did not report significant psychological distress. A cognitive-behavioral model of demonic possession of relevance to both distressed and non-distressed exorcism-seekers was therefore proposed. Treatment implications included a discussion of special treatment problems and collaboration between members of the clergy and the health care professions.

Thesis (M.A.)--Catholic Theological Union at Chicago, 1995. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 129-133).